In Order to Exist
by SummerMess
Summary: Slash. Set during the Marauders' sixth year. Remus is thrown into an alternate universe in which Sirius (and others) attempt to claim him as their own. In this story, Remus is a year younger than Sirius and James (and consequently not part of the Marauders).
1. To Touch

**A/N - O** **riginally posted in 2005, t** **his was my first piece of fanfiction. I removed it several years ago but I'm working on re-posting all completed chapters (I get a little nostalgic around Christmas). Happy holidays and thank you for reading!**

Disclaimer: Any familiar characters, settings, etc. most likely do not belong to me.

Pairing: Sirius and Remus

Rating: M

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Alternate Universe

* * *

 **Chapter 1- In Order to Touch**

After only a few days into the break Remus' homework was already finished. He smiled softly to himself—pleased that he could now use the remaining time to recover from a particularly exhausting week.

He watched the moon through the open window and thought back to the previous night.

 _The pull had been stronger than normal. He could remember hearing Madame Pomfrey's soft voice telling him she would return soon before leaving him alone to await the change. He took a seat at the end of the bed and began staring thoughtfully at the filthy, splintering wood under his feet. He wondered for a moment what it would be like to have someone there with him when he changed, but shook his head at the thought. Even if someone_ _ **was**_ _brave enough to stay with him, the wolf would be unforgiving. He willed himself to concentrate on more rational thoughts but it was only moments before he began to feel the start of what he knew would be a painful transformation. For the first time, as he succumbed to the wolf, he felt a new kind of hunger stir within him._

The sharp sound of laughter made Remus jump slightly in his seat. He looked across the room at the two boys who were laughing loudly as the third reenacted his latest quidditch triumph.

He watched as the dark-haired boy stood and waved his arms around—clearly amused by his own story.

Remus stared for a second longer then looked back down at the table in front of him. He felt a dull ache in his side and pressed his hand gently against it.

He didn't notice the gray eyes glancing discreetly in his direction.

As he began packing up his supplies, he _did_ notice the harsh, chilling breeze filtering in through the opened windows of the Gryffindor common room. He walked swiftly towards the cool air, intent on shutting it out.

However, as Remus neared the windows, he quickly became distracted by the night sky. He was only distantly aware of the common room lights flashing brightly before the room went dark. Captivated, he watched as each one of the night's lovely stars flickered and vanished from the sky. A strong feeling of loneliness overtook him as the sky rapidly darkened. Remus sat weakly on the window seat, pulling his knees up to his chest, and watching, entranced, until the very last light was gone. Finally, encompassed by darkness, he did the only thing he could think to do, and closed his eyes.

* * *

"He's beautiful."

"There's no doubt he'll be taken."

"Quiet! We can't let them find out about him."

"He's too perfect not to notice. Besides, there's no way out of here without passing by the school wards."

"He's right. They're always watching. One of them is always watching."

Remus slowly came to as he heard the hushed voices. At first, his fuzzy vision prevented him from seeing anything but a blurred mass of faces. Yet as his sight slowly returned to him, he could only stare in awe as he found himself surrounded by nearly a dozen unfamiliar—and undeniably beautiful—faces.

Looking around, he began quickly taking in his new surroundings. He seemed to be in a drawing room of sorts—it was remarkably large, with expensive looking furniture strewn about it in a deliberately disorganized way.

"Where am I?" he asked softly, his voice slightly shaky.

"Hogwarts, of course," a pretty young woman answered.

Turning his head towards the voice, Remus found himself looking into bright blue eyes that seemed to be intently studying his face. Slightly unnerved, he began scanning his memory for any recollection of the many faces staring down at him.

A series of sudden, loud thumping sounds did not allow him much time to ponder.

The blue eyed beauty had stood up straight, looking fearfully towards one of the doors, then reached down and hurriedly grabbed Remus' arm and tugged him towards a door further back into the room.

In that moment, Remus' mounting worry swiftly increased.

"They mustn't see you," she whispered.

"Who?" he asked, startled.

"They haven't seen a new face in years, much less one like yours," she continued on, ignoring his question.

She pulled him down numerous hallways, only stopping when they reached a room quite a distance away.

After she deemed the new location safe enough, the young woman swiftly left a very confused Remus alone. He now found himself in a room even more intriguing than the one they'd left. Swallowing down his rising apprehension, he began a thorough study of the newest location. There were two large windows on the wall furthest from the doorway, both covered by thick dark green curtains that seemed impossible to pull open—although he was too distracted then to even attempt to see past them.

Carefully maneuvering himself around the expensive looking furniture, he came to an abrupt halt upon passing a nearby mirror.

He almost didn't recognize himself!

He was still small, with hints of a hidden strength, but all of his features seemed more accentuated. His skin glowed in an unfamiliar way, his lips were strangely fuller, his hair now longer and beautifully mussed.

Yet it was his eyes that stood out the most. In place of his plain, brown eyes were large golden orbs, and upon looking closer, he saw that the colors in them seemed to be slowly moving… it was as if someone was stirring cinnamon and honey to make an unearthly color.

His gaping mouth quickly shut as the sound of deep voices flowed past the closed door.

The unsettled feeling within Remus grew, and he quickly ran to the covered windows in a nervous attempt to escape from this unfamiliar place. Looking down as he opened the window, he found he was not far from the ground, and quietly lifted himself through the window.

The first thing he noticed when he landed was the familiar towering outline of Hogwarts.

Ignoring the darkened towers and pouring rain, Remus broke into a run towards the place he'd called home for over five years.

Briefly glancing back, he saw that the building he'd come from seemed to be a castle all its own. Suspended slightly in air, it exuded almost as much magic as Hogwarts itself.

Panting and drenched from the cold rain, he continued on until he reached a courtyard lined with many windows…revealing the familiar, yet strangely changed, Great Hall.

Currently, it was filled with hundreds of boys, large and burly, all no younger than 16. And if that alone was not enough to unnerve Remus, the glowering faces and gruff demeanor of each of the boys did the trick.

All the young men here seemed to be wearing the same hardened expression on their masculine faces. Glancing towards the front of the room, Remus saw what must have been a professor, angrily lecturing the boys. Ducking down, he attempted to get closer in order to hear what the roomful of boys heard as they silently watched the older man.

As Remus debated whether he should enter the school, his normally keen senses did not pick up on the sound of an approaching figure.

Golden eyes widened in surprise as he felt a heavy body push his own against the wall from behind.

A deep voice began whispering in his ear, "I thought I was dreaming when I saw you."

Remus was too shocked to respond and the voice continued.

"There's no doubt I'll get detention for walking out, but I couldn't resist. I've never seen anyone like you. Tell me your name."

The (clearly male) figure didn't wait for an answer. He quickly buried his nose in Remus' hair in a way that hinted the act was something forbidden.

Suddenly Remus felt a warming sensation moving up and down his arms and realized that the mysterious person was trying to warm him up. Struggling to see his captor, he found himself looking into vaguely familiar gray eyes. _Sirius Black?_

At that moment a loud bell echoed through the courtyard and with one last touch to his cheek, the strong, black haired boy reluctantly released Remus and stalked away at a quick pace.

As Remus watched the young man's retreating back with a mixture of longing and confusion, a number of thoughts flew through his mind.

Casting one last glance towards the Great Hall, Remus rushed back towards the floating building from which he'd first come—shivers running down his back.


	2. To Know

**Chapter 2- In Order to Know**

The bitter cold struck Remus' face and he sped up—hurrying away from the darkening courtyard. The rain was pouring even more heavily now and it seemed to take hours for him to reach the solid, dry doorstep of the other building.

Unsure whether it was safe to go in, but too cold to care much, a trembling Remus quietly twisted the door handle and entered the dimly lit hall.

The warmth and subtle lighting created a comforting atmosphere that reminded him faintly of the Gryffindor common room—a place he was beginning to worry might no longer exist, at least not in this dream.

He walked further into the room, looking around in astonishment.

The entrance hall was colossal.

A Victorian staircase elegantly ran up either side of the room and beautiful portraits of men, women and various magical creatures lined the walls.

Delicate looking lights hung down from the high ceilings, illuminating the painted faces. He realized, both startled and relieved, that they were all smiling kindly at him from within their frames.

Beginning an upward trek, numerous doors became visible to him with every new turn on the staircase. He continued up, floor after floor, until he finally caught sight of a light emanating from beneath one of the many doors.

He took a dozen steps before stopping directly outside. He hesitated a moment before knocking softly. Without waiting for a response, he opened the door to reveal four perfect faces—all of whom looked up in surprise at his presence.

Remus immediately recognized the blonde from earlier and by the expression on her lovely face, it was clear she remembered him as well.

Striding towards him at a remarkable speed, she effectively steered the shorter boy backwards from the room and into an empty one across the hall.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you better listen before you go running off like that again! I thought I told you to stay put."

Despite her obvious anger, Remus noticed the young woman looked truly concerned.

"Oh. Right. Sorry about that," he answered sheepishly. And he meant it. Although he was not entirely sure why he felt so compelled to tell her so. "I thought I would be able to find someone I know if I made it to the main building."

"Someone you _know_?" she questioned. "How on earth would you know one of _them_?"

She studied him for a moment, a bewildered look on her face.

"Just who exactly are you?"

"Remus," he replied immediately, not wanting to upset her any further. "Remus Lupin."

The look of bewilderment remained.

"Listen," he continued, "I'm not sure how I got to this place, but I know I don't belong here." Feeling the urge to further voice his distress, Remus proceeded to tell the girl about the Hogwarts he knew and tried, rather ineffectually, to describe his apparent disappearance from it.

By the time he finished, he felt more desperate than ever to find someone who could help him. "I should head back to the main building. Dumbledore might be there—I know he could help me."

"You can't go back there, Remus," the blonde said urgently. "You must understand…this isn't the place you described. Those people you saw—the men—they're learning things we can't even begin to defend ourselves against. I know it might be hard for you to understand—but there are _hundreds_ of them and as soon as they find out you're here, they are going to try to claim you, Remus. And unless you keep hidden, they'll succeed. The safest place to be is within these walls, and even here there are still dangers."

She paused for a moment, looking anxious and distracted.

"At least the men won't be able to touch you," she said finally. "They aren't allowed. None of them can pass the wards."

Remus' mind reeled and he felt both fear and disbelief begin to settle in. Perhaps he just needed to lie down. When he awoke, he would be back in the Gryffindor common room—baffled but no longer a part of this vivid dream.

But this _wasn't_ a dream, was it?

"Lie low for now," the girl said finally. "At least long enough for us to figure out a way to get you back to where you came from."

Remus hesitated and turned his gaze to the polished floor.

He could tell the blonde's fear was genuine, but he couldn't help his reluctance to agree to stay inside the building. What if she was wrong and there _was_ someone who knew him? Or what if he wasn't the only one who'd ended up there?

He looked up at the blonde. Her brow was creased and she appeared to be debating something internally.

Just as Remus opened his mouth to voice one of the many possibilities floating around his mind, the girl seemed to come to a decision.

"There's something else, Remus," she said quickly. "Your eyes…"

She stopped for a moment...clearly wondering if telling him was the right thing to do. She stared at her hands for a moment longer before looking up at him determinedly.

"Remus, I think you're—"

But Remus didn't get to find out what the blonde thought he was.

A loud thump outside the room startled the two occupants, and prevented the blonde from finishing her statement.

She stiffened and rushed to the window.

"They aren't supposed to come near here, but they do," she whispered, carefully looking out the window. "They stand outside the barriers for hours…watching for us, listening to us, _breathing_ us in…"

She frowned as she continued to stare down at them.

"You have to stay away from them," she whispered.

Then, turning around quite suddenly, she fixed him with an even more serious gaze.

"Remus...did _anyone_ see you while you were out there?"

He knew he should tell her about the incident in the courtyard, but for some reason, though he was not well acquainted with the older boy, he felt the need to keep quiet about him. At least Sirius Black was somewhat familiar, even if they'd never actually spoken to one another…

Remus was saved from having to respond, whether honestly or not, by the sound of heavy footsteps outside the room.

"I should find a bedroom for you," she muttered, sounding worried.

"I'll have some dinner prepared for you as well...and a change of clothes," she said as an afterthought.

"You must be freezing," she stated, taking in the sight of his drenched clothing for the first time.

Having admittedly forgotten the state he was in, the thought of something dry now sounded quite nice to Remus. He nodded once and for the third time that evening, followed behind the beautiful figure.

* * *

Later, as he climbed into the large, four-poster bed with a full stomach and dry clothing, he couldn't help but think back to what had happened earlier. Black's eyes had been intense—hungry even. He remembered the wolf's hunger from his last transformation, and he couldn't help the small bit of hope that suddenly sparked within him. Was it possible that Black, too, experienced that feeling?

Once again shivering, Remus pulled the blankets up to his chin—warmed now by thoughts of strong arms and a comforting hold that understood exactly how lonely he was.


	3. To Kiss

**Chapter 3- In Order to Kiss**

In the early hours of the morning a still very much awake Remus sighed into the darkness.

Sleep would not come and his active mind was finding it more and more challenging to understand how staying in bed was helping the situation. Surely only action could bring results?

Taking a deep breath, he sat up carefully—still unnerved by his new surroundings—and slid his feet over the edge of the bed. Making his way towards the wardrobe, he began dressing with determination. He _needed_ to find out more.

On cue, his thoughts returned to the previous evening.

What had the blonde meant when she said they would want to _claim_ him? Surely there was someone in the school who wasn't interested in harming him—in harming any of them.

Glancing once more at his strange reflection in the mirror—a sight that seemed all the stranger with so little light—Remus repressed a shiver.

As he quietly slipped from the room and made his way down the dimly lit hallway, he hoped the blonde would not awaken. He knew she would not understand his need to leave the safety of the house yet again.

Fortunately, all the rooms were dark and he stepped cautiously down the stairwell, doing his best to avoid making a sound.

To his surprise, the front door was unlocked and opened easily, quietly—though as he crossed the threshold he heard the low hum of the wards. This time he could not prevent the shiver as he crossed through. He had not noticed them before.

Remus glanced around uncertainly as he began making his way to the school. For a moment he considered turning back, recalling once more what he'd been told the night before…but as he neared the school, the apprehension dissolved into a strange mixture of recklessness, longing and intense curiosity.

Yes, he needed to find out more.

Determined, he continued on, making his way past the courtyard and into the entrance hall.

Familiar but not the same.

The slowly rising sun did nothing to brighten the interior. He stepped forward carefully, still all but surrounded by darkness. The tapping of his shoes was the only sound that broke the gloomy silence as he entered the Great Hall.

Definitely not the same.

Remus had never seen the Great Hall like this. Last night's dishes littered the many tables and he noticed the remnants of a sort of food on the bowls and cutlery. He picked up a lone fork, bringing it close to his nose.

Whatever it was, it had a harsh, disagreeable scent. Who would want to eat this?

And yet…

Looking around, it seemed to be the only food _any_ of them ate.

Unnerved, he set the fork down quickly and turned to leave the Hall. Though he wondered about the strange substance, he felt it important he leave—at least until his mind had a chance to catch up. Hadn't he read something that described that very scent? It felt as if the information was just out of reach.

Reminding himself why he'd ventured to the school in the first place, Remus followed a familiar path—hoping it was still too early for any of the students to be awake.

It wasn't until he neared the final staircase, his mind still trying to recall that vital piece of information, that his ears caught the sound of low, hushed voices coming from one of the many rooms.

The door was ajar.

Hoping to slip by unnoticed but unable to suppress his curiosity, he slowed his pace and peered in as he made to pass.

He could see a tall boy with glasses leaning back against one of the desks. Though he appeared at ease, his face was drawn in a deep frown.

 _James Potter?_

But that must mean…

With a rush of something foreign to him, he identified the owner of the other voice.

At the sight of Sirius Black's roguish face; his mind turned instantly to their encounter in the courtyard.

Odd. He felt the urge to get closer.

Remus held his breath, all thoughts of his original destination leaving his mind as he listened in.

"You don't understand, James…this one was different. He's not afraid like the others. I _held_ him."

"Come off it, Sirius. It's not possible. We'd have noticed him before now, especially if he's everything you say he is. For your sake, I hope you imagined him. You know how much trouble you'd be in if you really touched him. We're only allowed to look, as you well know…"

Remus had never heard the bespectacled boy sound so serious.

"I don't think anyone else knows about him," Black mused. "Maybe the teachers don't want us to find out about him. I wouldn't blame them. I've never seen anyone like him, never _smelled_ anyone like him."

"You smelled him Sirius?" Remus expected to hear amusement in Potter's voice—but no, was that _envy_ he detected in the boy's voice?

"He really let you get that close, Sirius?"

" _Yes_ ," the other one responded quietly.

Both boys remained silent for a few moments.

Then abruptly, "I won't be able to sleep, James. He may be wandering the grounds. What if someone else sees him?"

"You know how much trouble we'll be in if we're caught roaming the grounds. How much more so if they knew what—or who—we were searching for?"

The conversation continued but in that moment, something large covered his mouth and he was pulled a few steps away, out of sight.

"Not lost, I hope?" A deep voice whispered harshly in his ear.

Startled, Remus pulled the hand from his mouth and turned to see a pale, muscular boy staring closely at him.

Remus struggled to free himself from the boy's other hand and stumbled back until he hit the wall. He hesitated. He didn't recognize this one.

The boy had short, thick brown hair and pale green eyes. The predatory gleam was becoming even more disturbing as each moment passed. "My, aren't we pretty."

Any other day and Remus might have taken offense at that.

An appreciative sound followed the boy's scrutiny and he stepped closer after a moment, reaching out a large hand and grabbing Remus' arm roughly, possessively.

"Now, hang on—" Remus started to say, but the sound of footsteps caused both boys to turn towards the classroom.

Black and Potter appeared from behind the door.

Taking in the sight, the duo stood in disbelief for a few seconds before James' eyes widened in understanding and Sirius' grey ones hardened in what appeared to be anger.

Before Remus could say anything, Black had rushed forward, shoving roughly at the larger boy and advancing on him furiously.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The boy stumbled back, releasing Remus. He recovered quickly but in the semi-darkness he looked deranged for a moment. Black and Potter seemed unalarmed by this but rounded on him nonetheless.

No one said a word but everyone except Remus seemed to be somehow communicating on a different level.

Finally, the boy broke eye contact and rushed off, furiously muttering curses under his breath.

Sirius stared after him for several long moments, seemingly unconvinced that he might not try to return.

His grey eyes softened finally at the sight of Remus.

Perhaps mistaking Remus' stunned expression for fear, Sirius raised both hands in an attempt to calm him.

"Please, don't run." He breathed.

Remus blinked at him, unsure what to say. He hadn't intended to run.

Another moment and the black-haired boy lowered one hand and took a step closer.

Remus swallowed tightly as the boy ran his fingertips across Remus' face.

"What's your name?" he whispered.

Remus hesitated.

"Tell me. Please."

When no answer came, the taller boy made a move so quick Remus wasn't entirely sure what had happened.

Strong arms surrounded him and he realized Sirius was now holding him tightly, preventing him from escaping.

It reminded Remus of a child, desperate to keep hold of a stray animal.

But Remus wasn't afraid…Was he?

He could hear Potter shifting restlessly nearby.

"My name is Remus," he whispered finally.

The black-haired boy's grip loosened ever so slightly.

"Remus," he breathed. "I've been waiting a long time for you."

And with that, the taller boy buried his nose in Remus' neck and inhaled deeply.

When he pulled back, Remus saw his grey eyes were now clouded with emotion. Desire? Longing?

"You're going to be mine, Remus," the boy whispered, leaning in.

But before Sirius' lips could reach his, a cold, dangerous voice cut in.

"Black."

The old man's face was unfamiliar, but Remus recognized the brown-haired boy next to him—his cold, green eyes were now fixed maliciously on Sirius.

" _Get away from that boy_."

Remus felt Sirius tense against him and knew he should be concerned with what this meant for all of them.

But of all the things he'd seen and felt since awakening there, the most disturbing to him was the feeling of discontent that came when Sirius let go.


	4. To Trust

**Chapter 4- In Order to Trust**

"Potter, Black—get back downstairs. You," he said, turning to Remus. "Come with me."

Much to his disappointment, Sirius' immediately stepped away.

He watched as the dark-haired boy followed obediently behind James—leaving Remus alone and with little choice but to follow the older man.

No words were spoken as they began a steady progression up the nearest flight of stairs.

Where was the man leading him? Would he be able to help? How come Sirius had been so compliant? Remus' mind was spinning.

Not until they started down another darkened hallway did he begin to notice the sound of doors being unlocked.

He looked up from the stone floor to find, left and right, figures were emerging from their dorms—feral eyes captivated by Remus' every move.

The boys were awakening.

He shuddered with this realization and decided it would be best if he kept his head down until they finished passing through the halls. He wondered briefly why the older man had taken him this way—past the dorms.

Numerous turns and ascents, followed by a dozen more leering young men, led them to arrive in front a massive door made of steel.

At the wave of the older man, the handle shined brightly for a moment, before opening up to reveal the room.

It was arranged similar to the way Remus remembered Dumbledore's office—except everything here seemed to have a slightly darker touch to it.

In place of the portraits of former headmasters were much more dangerous looking faces; and Remus immediately noticed the absence of the ever present phoenix.

There were no dishes brimming with sweets.

"Asher," the old man turned sharply towards the other boy. "Wait outside."

To Remus' astonishment, the boy did as he was told without hesitation.

"You," he addressed Remus. "Sit down. Explain yourself."

"Well," Remus started momentarily intimidated by the harsh gaze of the older man. "You see, sir, I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but it seems I've somehow altered my world…"

* * *

Quite a while later, Remus found himself in the same seat, concluding the story with his most recent encounter in the hall (though, of course, leaving out as much detail as he could).

"A very unfortunate occurrence," the older man muttered, turning to focus his gaze on the wall opposite him.

They sat for several minutes but, for once, the silence was not reassuring to Remus.

"My apologies," the man spoke suddenly. "But I'm afraid I cannot help you."

Remus swallowed tightly but did not respond.

"You see, in our world there exists a schism between two types of beings. One cannot function properly without the other and unfortunately, there has been a significant drop in the supply of your type."

"In the _supply_?" Remus asked. "But I don't—"

"This shortage," the man continued. "Does not permit us to be frivolous when it comes to the distribution of your type."

"Distribution—!" Remus started, too indignant to remain calm any longer.

"If you'd used your head and stayed at the house—as I'm sure Miss Anna warned you to do—then your predicament would be much easier to resolve. Unfortunately, that is not the case. You've seen by nearly every male student inside these walls—and don't assume you can fend them off with polite appeals. Let me assure you…you _will_ be pursued—what you experienced this morning is only the beginning."

"But I'm not one of your-your beings! I'm not even _from_ here. This isn't where I belong!"

"Well, you cannot leave now." The older man said harshly. "As far as I can tell, you aren't returning to 'where you belong' anytime soon, so it's safe to say that, for now, you belong to the school…to me. In fact, I think we will find you are quite the incentive for our young men."

"But—"

"With that said," he raised his voice before Remus could argue further, "the next matter to discuss is your new residence. It is clear by your story that you've had the fortune of meeting the young Miss Anna. If she hasn't already, she will set up a permanent room for you and help you get settled. Meanwhile, I will remind the students that they are to behave themselves."

" _Behave_ themselves?" Remus asked, incredulous. "Do you have any idea—"

"I am not ignorant of the actions of my men," he interrupted Remus once again. "I know they… _watch_ while I'm not around. But in addition to having to answer to me, they are aware there will be severe punishment for anyone who touches you or anyone else from the house. As Mr. Black will soon find out…"

Remus shuddered. He had been careful earlier to leave out the incident in the courtyard when recounting his story.

"I do hope, for his sake, that this morning's encounter was the _only_ time he's touched you."

"Yes," Remus said quickly, feeling the sudden urge to protect the other boy. "It was."

The man's cold eyes bored into his own for several long moments.

"Sir," he began again, hoping to have at least a couple of his questions answered. "I don't understand. Why are the students like this? What is it that makes them so dangerous?"

"What they are taught here is none of your concern." He replied contemptuously.

Remus frowned.

"Can you at least tell me why such rules are even necessary? What makes the students incapable of controlling their actions?" Remus asked, becoming increasingly more frustrated.

"Because that is the way things are here," he said shortly. "These students have lived almost their entire lives within these walls. As they near adulthood, the desire to claim becomes stronger. Loneliness is a powerful emotion, Mr. Lupin, and as I said earlier…there is not an equal supply of each. No one has been allowed to claim in years."

Again, he looked at a point beyond Remus for a moment.

"You will stay away." He said finally, in a deadly tone that brooked no room for argument.

"Although the students are quite aware of the rules, you cannot go parading about in front of them. Especially seeing as you are…unique. If you continue to tease my students, Mr. Lupin, they will become even more persistent."

He studied Remus' face for a moment.

"At the moment, that house and I are the only two things keeping you safe."

Remus sensed the truth in this statement and somehow knew this fact could not have pleased the older man more than it did.

"I think it is time you return to the house. And I must insist you remain there. I'll check up on you soon."

Remus did not argue.

"Asher," the man called out. The brown haired boy appeared from behind the door.

"Escort Mr. Lupin to the barrier. Once you are certain he has made it safely inside, return to my office."

"Yes, Professor."

"Oh, and Lupin?" the old man spoke up again. "If you find you suddenly have the inkling to take an early leave, do remember there will be consequences."

Remus said nothing but stood and turned to follow the boy.

* * *

As the two walked the length of yet another hallway, Asher leading, Remus felt unease settle in the pit of his stomach. He nearly came to a halt when he noticed movement in the shadows. It seemed the dark figures were once again emerging.

Though he couldn't quite make out faces, he could see their eyes clearly. Remus felt certain, were it not for the threat of punishment, he would be pinned under one of the many muscular forms.

Within minutes, they'd reached another floor on which classes were taking place.

Instantly, the young men in the rooms turned, fascinated, to get a better look at him. They seemed to lean toward him and inhale deeply, their intense eyes filling with desire.

Remus did his best not to make eye contact, instead focusing on Asher's unnecessary closeness and wondering anxiously where Sirius might be.

Though it was an uncomfortable walk, it was not too much longer before they were outside and stepping across the courtyard, away from Hogwarts.

Remus knew he should be relieved at the distance put between him and the castle, but being alone with Asher only succeeded in unnerving him further.

Just as the house came into sight, he felt the other boy push hard against him until they were surrounded by trees—out of sight from both Hogwarts and the house.

"So," he hissed. "Someone finally caught the eye of the infamous Black."

Remus struggled but the other boy held him firmly.

"I'm sorry to say, you've caught the eyes of others as well." He leaned closer to Remus' ear, now whispering dangerously. "I saw the way you let him touch you. You know, we aren't so different, he and I…I could hold you too."

Remus tried again to pull away.

"You can't leave here, Remus," the boy said, the same malicious glint from earlier returning to his eyes. "You see, I won't let you. I like you better than any of the others. And my father is a very important _associate_ of Professor Nevar. It's only a matter of time before I get to stake my claim…until you're mine."

He leaned forward to bury his nose in Remus' neck but Remus shoved with all his strength and was surprised to feel the boy release him.

Wordlessly, he ran as fast as he could to the house, not once risking a glance behind him.

"It's a matter of time, Remus!" He heard Asher yell. "Professor Nevar has his reasons for keeping you here, as do I."

Remus felt himself pass through the invisible barriers and nearly tripped on his way up the steps.

He heard the door open as he neared the top.

The blue eyes looked neither angry nor surprised but Remus felt guilt settle in at the sight of the girl.

"Are you alright, Remus?" She asked softly.

Remus was silent as he stepped closer to the house. From the doorway he turned, eyes scanning the grounds through the open door until he found what he sought.

Not far from the house stood the towering gates of Hogwarts—his escape.

He stepped inside and the sound of the door closing echoed through the house.

"Yes," he said finally, "I'm alright."


End file.
